Furnace removal



April 7, 1970 J. J. GILL 3,504,421

FURNACE REMOVAL Filed Aug. 29. 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

JOHN J. GILL H/S A T TOR/VEVS April 7, 1970 J. J. GILL 3,504,421

' FURNACE REMOVAL Filed Aug. 29, 1967 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

JOHN J. GILL H/S ATTORNEYS J. J. GILL FURNACE REMOVAL April 7, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 29. 1967 QM mm mm m d ----.....\...\,.H R

United States Patent 3,564,421 FURNACE REMOVAL John J. Gill, Beaver, Pa., assignor to Pennsylvania Engineering Corporation, New Castle, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Aug. 29, 1967, Ser. No. 664,095 Int. Cl. B22d 19/10 US. Cl. 29401 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shaft-mounted rotatable furnace vessel or converter is provided with bearing housings journaling its shafts that are adapted to be raised and lowered on jack mounts or stands of a pair of spaced-apart stationary support piers. A driven trunnion shaft of the vessel or converter is provided with a conventional separable part type of coupling connecting it to a motor drive mechanism. Each jack mount or stand has a wedge-shaped or inclined slide part carried by a guide member for endwise guided movement, as effected by a reciprocating type of fluid motor operatively-connected to one end of the slide part. Each bearing housing has a slide or wedge-shaped portion cooperating with an associated slide part and adapted to be raised and lowered by endwise movement of the slide part. An end retainer having a pair of spaced-apart portions projects upwardly from the jack mount adjacent an end thereof on which the motor is positioned and through which the motor is adapted to operatively extend in its connection to the slide part. This end retainer has an abutment portion to abut one end of an associated bearing housing; it cooperates with an opposite end retainer that is removably secured on the jack mount to abut an adjacent end of the associated bearing housing. The upwardly-projecting end retainers positively or securely retain or mount an associated bearing housing with respect to the slide part. The end retainers also function to limit the maximum endwise movement of the slide part in either direction. The inclined or wedgeshaped slide portion of each bearing housing is complementary with the slide part to raise and lower the associated housing when the slide part is reciprocated by the fluid motor. The structure enables a converter vessel or furnace to be raised with respect to its piers or stands, in order that a transport car may be wheeled into position between the piers and stands and into a cooperating position under the vessel, that the support or weight of the vessel may be transferred from the stands to the car, and that the vessel with its bearing housings may be transported or moved from an operating station to a repair or maintenance station and, if desired, from the latter station to a hold station, and then returned to an operating station. The car has means for moving it into an aligned position with respect to the bottom of a converter vessel at any of the stations and for endwise-moving the vessel after the second-mentioned end retainer of each of the pair of bearing housings has been removed.

This invention relates to facilitating the handling or transfer of a furnace vessel in the nature of an oxygen converter that is rotatably-shaft mounted and particularly, to the mounting and dismounting of a converter vessel on its stands in such a manner that it may be transported and supported at transported positions with its bearing housings in place or in journaling positions on its trunnion shafts.

Those skilled in the art recognize that BOF, oxygen converter vessels and the like are subjected to intense heat in the refining of metal, such as steel, and thus have to be periodically repaired and particularly, have to have 3,504,421 Patented Apr. 7, 1970 their linings replaced from time to time. In this connection, it is advantageous to transport or move the vessel from an operating station at which it is rotatably or turnablysupported on piers and operatively connected to a driving mechanism, to a maintenance, repair or relining station. In this manner, the vessel can be readily repaired at a remote station location and held at such a location or moved to a holding station location until it is again required. In the meantime, another vessel may be moved to the operating station, mounted in an operating relation and used while the first vessel is being repaired.

. It has been found to be advantageous to remove and transport a vessel and then to support it at a relining or holding station with its bearing housings in place on or in a journaled relation with respect to its trunnion shafts. This protects the bearing surfaces from the introduction of dirt and grit and simplifies mounting and dismounting of a vessel at the various stations. The present invention detals with procedure and apparatus for accomplishing such a purpose.

It has thus been an object of the invention to devise new and improved procedure for handling a furnace vessel and particularly, for dismounting and mounting it with respect to piers or stands and for transporting or moving it from one station to another.

Another object of the invention has been to devise new and improved apparatus for positioning or mounting a furnace vessel or converter on supporting stands which will facilitate removal of the vessel from the stands and transportation of the vessel after removal.

Another object of the invention has been to provide an improved mounting arrangement for vessel housings which will enable the vessel to be removed from its stands with its bearing housings in place on its trunnion shafts.

A further object of the invention has been to provide jack mount means for raising and lowering bearing housings of a furnace vessel that will enable the vessel to be raised and lowered with respect to its stands and to be endwise-removed and inserted with respect to the stands.

These and other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the art from the illustrated embodiment, the description and the claims.

In the drawings, FIGURE 1 is a somewhat schematic isometric view in elevation of an embodiment of the invention and showing a system, apparatus and procedure for handling a furnace vessel; in the right-hand portion of this figure, a furnace vessel with its bearing housings journaled in place is shown with its weight supported on a wheeled car or truck for movement to a repair or maintenance station; the left portion of this figure illustrates the vessel as it is transported from one station to another.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged end view in elevation of the vessel of FIGURE 1 and in the supported position of the right-hand portion of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a greatly enlarged perspective view in elevation illustrating details of the construction of each bearing housing, its jack mount as well as means for removably-securing it in position on the jack mount.

FIGURE 3A is a fragmental side view in elevation of a right-hand portion of the apparatus of FIGURE 3, particularly illustrating motor means for reciprocating or actuating a slide part of the jack mount; this figure is slightly enlarged with respect to FIGURE 3.

FIGURE 3B is a fragmental side view in elevation and in partial section taken through the jack apparatus of FIGURE 3 and showing the bearing housing in its journaling relation on a trunnion shaft; this figure is on the scale of FIGURE 3A and particularly illustrates details of the construction of the bearing housing and its associated jack mount.

FIGURE 4 is a greatly reduced plan view illustrating an operating layout that may be employed in connection with the invention.

FIGURE 5 is a reduced side view in elevation showing a furnace vessel in a mounted position on piers at a repair station, such as illustrated in the floor plan or layout of FIGURE 4.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental end view on the scale of and similar to FIGURE 2, but showing the vessel and its bearing housings raised to a maximum upper or vertical position by their jack mounts as a preliminary step in the dismounting or mounting of a vessel with respect to its associated stands.

And, FIGURE 7 is an end view on the scale of FIG- UR-E 6 showing how a vessel and its bearing housings are endwise-removed from associated stands and jack mounts.

In carrying out the invention, a converter vessel 10 having oppositely-extending trunnion shafts 13a and 13b and associated bearing housing A and A, is mounted through the agency of jack mounts of stationary stands 30 and 30' on a pair of spaced-apart pier structures or vertical stands 15 and 16 for operation, such as at one of the stations of area C of FIGURE 3 for normal metal refining utilization. At least one of the shafts, such as 13b, is separately-coupled through a partible drive cou pling B to any suitable conventional motor drive mechanism, such as illustrated to the right in FIGURE 1. When the vessel 10 is to be removed from the piers 15 and 16 and their associated stationary or fixed stands and 30', the vessel is raised by the jack mounts and its bearing housings to an upper position, such as illustrated in FIGURE 6. A wheeled truck or car 60 for transporting the vessel 10 is then moved on a trackway 17 into position between piers 15 and 16 and the associated stands beneath the vessel and in alignment therewith to receive it. At this time, the jack mounts may be lowered a slight distance that is lesser than its previously raised position to rest on the car and thus transfer main support of the vessel to the car.

After the transfer of the support of the vessel 10 to a car, such as 60 of FIGURE 1, the bearing housings A and A may be moved endwise out of position with respect to their stands and their jack mounts by, as shown particularly in FIGURE 7, unbolting and removing an end retainer part of each housing assembly. At this time, the vessel 10 may then be moved, in a manner such as indicated in FIGURES 1 and 4, from an operating station area C to a repair or relining station area D. For this purpose, any suitable type of wheeled car 60 may be employed. The illustrated car is provided with trucks 62 that are rotatable with respect to the rails of a transverse operating station track 17 or 17' to align with the rails of a longitudinal track 18 for movement to an aligned position in front of a relining station area D or from the relining station area D to a holding station area. The trucks 62 of the car 60 are again rotated in moving them out of alignment with the rails of longitudinal track 18 into alignment with the rails of transverse track 19 or 19' at station area D. The car 60 may, if desired, be provided with vessel lift cylinders or fluid motors 64 to provide better flexibility of utilization for different heights of piers at the various station areas.

It is contemplated, in accordance with the invention, that a vessel 10 (or 10) will be mounted on its bearing housings at a relining or hold station in the same manner as at an operating station. Also, jack mounts may be provided at the various stations to facilitate the insertion and removal of a wheeled car 60 and the transfer of. the support of the converter vessel between the car and the piers or stands at the station involved.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1, a vessel 10 typically may be provided with a rounded bottom shell portion 10a and such bottom shell portion may, in turn, be provided with bottom stands 66 secured thereto, as by welding. However, if desired, such bottom vessel stands 66 may be mounted or carried on piston rods 65 of fluid or hydraulic lift motors 64 of the wheeled car 60. The vessel 10 is shown provided with an encircling trunnion support ring 1012 from which a pair of trunnion shafts or pins 13a or 13b extend for rotatably carrying the vessel. The vessel of FIGURE 1 is also shown provided with a pouring nozzle 11 and an open mouth cap 12 for partially closing-off its charging opening and permitting the insertion of an oxygen blow lance.

The vessel 10 of FIGURE 10 is shown with its trunnion shaft 131) secured to a driven part 20 of a separable or partible coupling B. It will be noted that the driven part 20 cooperates with a drive part 21 of the coupling B, and that the driving part 21 is secured on a stud shaft 22 that is driven through a final speed reducing unit 23. The unit 23 is mounted on a platform portion 16a of the pier 16. The final speed reducer unit 23 is, itself, driven through a flexible coupling 24 and a secondary or dual driven speed reducer unit 25. Electric motors 27 positioned at opposite ends of a supplemental platform 28 drive individual primary speed reducer units 26 which units, in turn, are coupled together by and drive the dual unit 25 which is also mounted on the platform 28.

When a converter vessel 10 is to be removed from an operating station, such as illustrated in FIGURE 1, securing means between the parts 20 and 21 of the partible coupling B is first removed so that the vessel may be raised and lowered on its trunnion shafts 13a and 13b, with and by its bearing housings or assemblies A and A. It will be noted, as particularly shown in FIGURE 3, that each bearing housing or assembly consists of a lower part 35 and an upper part 36 that have opposed flanges 35d and 36d that are secured together by bolts 37 to mount them on and receive an associated trunnion shaft within bearing bore b. Each stand 30 and 30' may be of the same construction or of slightly different construction, as shown in FIGURE 1, but each has an upper platform or plate member 32 of the same construction for supporting an associated jack mount. The jack mount, in addition to including base or platform member 32, also includes a guide member 33 secured on the platform member 32, and an endwise movable or reciprocating slide or operating wedge part 34 that has a substantially wedge-shaped upper face 3412. A reciprocating lift motor 47 and a pair of opposed, vertically-extending or upright end retainers 40 and 53 are secured on the base or platform member 32 and define therebetween end spacing for permitting reciprocating motion of wedge or slide part 34. The motor 47 is operatively connected to one end of the slide part 34 and may be of any suitable type, such as of a pneumatic or hydraulic (fluid) type or a reversible electric, screw-operating type. However, for purpose of illustration, a fluid motor 46 is illustrated and is shown secured in position on the base or platform member 32 through the agency of a. base plate member 45 adjacent one end of the slide part 34 to reciprocate it.

The guide member 33, as shown particularly in FIG- URE 3B, is of somewhat channel shape, in that it has a longitudinally-extending, central recess portion 33a that is complementary with and that receives a central, longitudinally-projecting portion 34a along bottom, planar side of the slide member 34 to guide the slide member in its reciprocating movement. As shown particularly in FIG- URES 3 and 3B, the lower bearing part 35 has a slide portion 35a that is provided with an under-sloped or wedge surface substantially complementary with upper sloped or wedge surface 34b of the slide part 34 for guiding and retaining the slide part 34 with respect to the slide portion 35a. The slide portion 35a is shown provided with a longitudinallyextending, inverted, V-shaped slot or recess portion 350, and the slide part 34 is shown provided with a complementary, longitudinally-extending, V-shaped projection 34c. It is thus apparent that back and forth, endwise or reciprocating movement of the slide part 34 is guided, both by the guide member 33 and the slide portion 35a of the associated bearing housing.

The slide part 34, at its converging end, is provided with a step-like foot portion 34b which may move within a space a between it and the under side of the slide portion 35a before the bearing housing A or A is to be raised to its maximum initial position in removing a converter vessel from its stand. However, as shown in FIGURE 6, the final or maximum upward movement of the bearing housing A (or A) is accomplished when the step foot portion 34b moves or advances past along the recess 33a and between a pair of end posts or legs 35b at one end of the slide portion 35a. Thus, lowering the vessel from its maximum raised position, for example, of three inches, to a position at which ittis to be removed from its stands, for example, of one to .one and a half inches, the foot portion 34b will slide-off between the end posts 35b and to substantially fill the spacing a of FIGURE 3. On the other hand, when the bearing housing is to be lowered to a position at which the vessel 10 is to be aligned at the coupling parts and 21, the foot portion 34b will be in the position of FIGURE 3.

Each bearing housing or assembly A (and A) is provided with a pair of end retainers 40 and 53, one of which 40, is removably-secured on the platform member 32 and the other of which 53, is non-removably secured, as by welding thereto. Referring particularly to FIGURE 3, the end retainer 40 is shown provided with a pair of spaced-apart upwardly-projecting ears 40a that, at their upper ends, extend forwardly and carry an abutment cross plate 41. The plate 41 is adapted to engage against one end of the slide portion a of the lower housing part 35 to retain it in position, but to permit the bearing housing portion to be raised and lowered by sliding movement with respect thereto. The end retainer has opposite pairs of spaced-apart, side-positioned, bifurcated portions 40b which are adapted to fit on and receive an end portion of the platform member 32 and to be removablysecured thereto by bolt and nut assemblies 42. As a result, the end retainer 40 may be removed, as illustrated in FIGURE 7, to permit an associated bearing assembly to be endwise-moved out from its associated stand and ack mount. It will be noted that the guide member or plate 33 is open at left end with reference to its guide recess portion 33a in FIGURE 3, in order that the step foot portion 34b of the slide part 34 may move between the pair of end posts 35b of the slide portion 35a and into engagement with an inner offset portion of the ears 47a to limit the maximum forward or raising movement of the slide part 34.

The opposite end of each housing assembly A (and A) cooperates with the fixed or non-removable end retainer 53 which has a pair of sapced-apart, upwardly-projecting ears that are also centrally-backwardly offset and which project forwardly at their upper ends and carry a crossextending abutment plate 54. It will be noted that the bottom portion of the ears of the end retainer 53 are secured, as by welding, to the base member 32. The abutment plate 54 is adapted to engage an opposed abutment plate 38 that is carried by a pair of spaced-apart end abutment portions 35a of the lower bearing housing part 35. As shown in FIGURES 2 and 6, the plates 38 and 54 may be removably-secured together by bolts or bolt and nut assemblies when the vessel 10 (or 10') is in its normal, driven or operating position. When the bearing housings are to be raised by their jack mounts, the bolt and nut assemblies 55 are removed so as to permit the abutment plate 38 of the lower bearing housing part 35 to slide along th opposed abutment plate 54 of the end retainer 53. The centrally-offset portion of the end retainer 53 governs or limits the backward movement of the slide part 34, in such a manner that when the slide part 34 abuts the end retainer 53, the bearing housings A and A position the trunnion shafts 13a and 13b in alignment with the driving means through alignment of the coupling parts 20 and 21.

As shown particularly in FIGURE 3A, the fluid motor 46 has a cylinder 47 and its piston rod 49 is removablyconnected by an end pusher plate 51 through the agency of threaded bolts 52 to the back end of the slide part 34 Its piston 50 is driven in opposite directions by reversing the flow of power fluid between port lines 48a and 48b.

The transfer car 60 may be of any suitable construction and does not, itself, constitute the invention involved. It will be noted that the car has a pair of wheel-carrying trucks 62 along each of its sides that are rotatablymounted on its base 61 at 62a for raising the platform 61, in order to rotate or turn its trucks from, for example, trackway 17 to trackway 18, and vice versa. Each motor 68 of a group of three lift motors is secured on a post 67 to project downwardly from the platform 61. Each motor 68 is provided with a piston rod 69 and a base plate 70 which is adapted to be positioned above the plant floor or ground level when the car is in operation and which is adapted to engage the floor or ground and lift the platform 61 and the wheels of its trucks 62 off and above the rails of the trackway when the car 60 is to be moved from on trackway to another having an angular relationship with respect to each other. In FIG- URE 1, 67 indicates a control panel for actuating fluid lift motors 68 as well as fluid motors 64. However, the motors 64 are not essential utiliiing the invention, in that the jack mounts are utilized for shifting the support of the converter vessel 10 (or 10) from the bearing stands and the pair of upright piers to the wheeled car 60, and

vice versa.

The bearing housing assemblies A and A are of identical construction and thus, the description of the housing A in the illustration of FIGURE 3 applies to both housing assemblies. As noted in FIGURE 4, a group or series of converter vessels 10 or 10' may be grouped at each station and successively moved into and out of relining, operating and hold stations. For simplicity, a hold station is not shown in FIGURE 4, but it may constitute a transverse area similar to the relining or repair station area D and be also located along the main or longitudinal trackway 18. The Wheeled truck or car 60 may have its own power drive or may be, as shown, provided with a tow lug 71 for coupling it to a tractor that also operates on the trackways.

For ease of operation, it is contemplated that the lower surface of the slide portion 35 and the upper surface of the slide part 34, as well as the under surface of the slide part 34 and the upper surface of the guide member 33, will have ground surface finishes and will be pressure grease lubricated from the trunnion lubrication system of the vessel.

For illustrative purposes, the invention has been shown as applied to a stationary or floor mounted drive; however, it will be apparent that it is also applicable to shaft mounted drives in which motor and gear drive means are mounted on the trunnion shaft of the BOF furnace or converter vessel. In a shaft mounted drive, such as illustrated by the Lakin et al., US. Patent No. 3,207,002 and by the Falk et a1. application for US. Letters Patent No. 518,245 of Jan. 3, 1966, now Patent No. 3,364,773, entitled Drive Mechanism for Furnace Vessels and the Like, the vessel can be removed with the gearing and motor means in place on the trunnion shaft or, if desired,

the complete drive unit may be removed from the shaft before the vessel is removed from its mounting on the stands or piers.

It 'will be apparent to those skilled in the art that variious modifications, changes and additions may be employed in carrying out the invention that has been particularly illustrated in the drawings, without departing from its spirit and scope, as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A method of handling a rotatable shaft-mounted furnace vessel having a pair of oppositely-projecting trunnion shafts and a bearing housing about each of the trunnion shafts for moving the vessel between operating and repair stations, and wherein a pair of spaced-apart stationary stands are provided at each of the stations for supporting and mounting the vessel through the agency of the bearing housings which comprises, at the operating station, raising the vessel through the agency of both bearing housings in their mounted relation on the trunnion shafts on the pair of stationary stands while retaining the housings in a mounted relation thereon, wheeling a car between the pair of stands into a cooperating position beneath the bottom of the vessel, relatively vertically- .moving the vessel with the bearing housings in their mounted position on the trunnion shafts into a bottomsupported relation on the car and transferring the sup port of the vessel from the pair of stands to the car; wheeling the vessel in a bottom-supported relation on the car with the bearing housings of the vessel in their mounted relation on the trunnion shafts from the operating station to the repair station and between the pair of stands thereat, transferring the support of the vessel from the car to the bearing housings and the pair of stands at the repair station, and then wheeling the car out of position from beneath the vessel and with respect to the pair of stands at the repair station.

2. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein, at the operating station, the relative vertical moving of the vessel and the bearing housings comprises lowering the vessel on the pair of stands thereat a lesser distance than the previous raising thereof and into the bottom-supported position on the car..

3. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein, at the operating station, the bearing housings are released from their mounted positions on the pair of stands, and the bearing housings are then moved endwise out of position with respect to the pair of stands when the car is wheeled towards the repair station.

4. A method as defined in claim 3 wherein, at the repair station, the bearing housings are raised in mounted positions on and with respect to the pair of stands thereat for transferring the support of the vessel from the car before the car is wheeled out of position with respect to the pair of stands thereat.

5. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein the vessel is lowered on the car at the repair station to transfer the support thereof from the car to the pair of stands thereat, and the bearing housings are mounted on the pair of stands at the repair station before the car is wheeled out of position from the pair of stands thereat.

6. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein at least one of the trunnion shafts is connected through a separablepart coupling at the operating station to a drive mechanism and which comprises, at the operating station, separating the parts of the coupling and then raising both bearing housings in endwise-secure positions on and with respect to the pair of stationary stands, and releasing the bearing housings from their endwise-secure positions on the pair of stands before wheeling the vessel on the car to the repair station.

7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein, after the repair of the vessel, a cart is wheeled into position between the pair of stands at the repair station into a cooperating position beneath the bottom of the vessel, support of the vessel is transferred from the pair of stands at the repair station to the car, the bearing housings are released from their mounted positions on the pair of stands at the repair station, the vessel is wheeled on the car to the operating station and between the pair of stands thereat, the support of the vessel at the operating station is transferred from the car to the bearing stands, the bearing housings are mounted on the pair of stands at the operating station, the car is wheeled out of position from the pair of stands at the operating station, the hearing housings are then lowered with respect to and on the pair of standsvat the operating station to a position at which parts of the separable coupling are in alignment, and the parts of the separable coupling are then secured together so that the vessel may then be actuated by the driving mechanism at the operating station.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,826,405 3/1958 McFeaters 26636 3,207,002 9/ 1965 Lakin et a1 22636 X 3,364,773 1/1968 Falk 266-36 X 3,376,029 4/1968 Menu 266-36 X JOHN F. CAMPBELL, Primary Examiner A. DI PALMA, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 29-426; 26636 

